Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert)

Sylvia clenched her jaw, struggling to keep herself calm.

"Synthetic? Bridget told you that? No wonder you let her scam you out of everything you had. You really are that gullible!"

"You-! Clearly you need a lesson. Do you really think I'm joking with you? My dad's in charge of the city's redevelopment. All I have to do is nod, and you'll be wiped off the face of the earth, Sylvia!"

"So that's how your dad runs things, huh? I guess the whole Lance family's got plenty of skeletons in their closet." Sylvia shot back with a cold, twisted smile.

Fanny's face darkened, her eyes hardening with malice.

"Toss her in!"

Once again, Sylvia was shoved into the filthy pool, the reek of chlorine and mildew burning her nose. Over and over, they dunked her until she nearly drowned.

When they finally yanked her up, her breaths came faint and shallow, but the defiance in her eyes hadn't faded a bit.

Fanny grew agitated. "Where's the video? This is your last chance!"

Sylvia flicked her eyes around, deflecting, "I'm just curious. Why are you here yourself? Who sent you?"

"Shut up! Don't try to start trouble between us!" Fanny snapped.

"Start trouble? I don't know anything." Sylvia turned her face away, refusing to meet her gaze.

Fanny sneered, stepping closer, her heels clicking on the concrete.

"Sylvia, you think stalling for time is gonna save you? Hoping someone's coming to your rescue?"noveldrama

She leaned in, voice dripping with mockery. "By the way, my uncle works at the police station. You tried to call for help before you blacked out? He told me all about it. Said girls have little catfights all the time, just not to take it too far."

As she spoke, Fanny pulled a small device from her pocket-the emergency alarm Sylvia had hidden in her purse.

Connected to her phone, it was supposed to trigger an alert and send her location to the police with a single press.

So that's why Sylvia had stalled, hoping the cops would show up.

But she'd forgotten: the Lance family had been in politics for three generations. Their influence seeped into every corner of the city.

Right in front of her, Fanny tossed the alarm to the ground and crushed it under her stiletto, kicking the shattered pieces into the pool.

With a splash, Sylvia watched her last hope disappear. Her face went ashen.

Before she could react, they shoved her into the pool again.

This time, Fanny didn't have her goons pull Sylvia up right away. She

ed to the edge, watching as

Sylvia thrashed, struggling in vain.

Only when Sylvia started to sink, her strength failing, did Fanny signal for her to be dragged back to the side.

Sylvia coughed and gagged, her lungs burning, vision blurry.

When she finally looked up, Fanny's heel was hovering dangerously close to her face, as if she might stomp down at any second.

"Still not talking?"

Fanny grinned, the gleam in her eyes making it clear this was all a game to her— human life meant nothing.

Sylvia knew it, too. To Fanny, her life was worth less than dirt.

Underwater, Sylvia's hand brushed

against a broken tile at the bottone

at they cone

Relief

her maybe she had a ch

She forced herself to steady her breathing. She had to save herself.

But Fanny was losing patience, her heel inching ever closer to Sylvia's eye.

Sylvia shouted, "Wait!"

Fanny scoffed, rolling her eyes. "See? Was that so hard? You could've saved us both the trouble."

Sylvia looked up at her, desperate

but steady. "Ms. Lance, do you really think I'm lying? I'm barely alive here What would I get out of tricking you? If you don't believe me, I'll unlock my phone and laptop-check everything you want."

Fanny eyed her skeptically. Sylvia did look exhausted, barely hanging on.

Finishing her off would be as easy as stepping on an ant. But what was the rush?

"Bring me her bag."